Iran says it executed one of Israel's top spies
TEHRAN
Iran Monday it executed a man it described as one of Israel's top spies after he was convicted of working for its arch-enemy.
"One of the leading spies of the Zionist regime in Iran, Bahman Choubi Asl, was hanged this morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.
Choubi Asl had worked "closely" with Israeli intelligence and had "privileged access to vital and sovereign databases" of the Islamic republic, the statement said. It did not say when he was arrested.
Earlier this month, Iran executed Babak Shahbazi , who it alleged spied for Israel. Activists disputed that, saying Shahbazi was tortured into a false confession after writing a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offering to fight for Kiev
Iran and Israel fought a 12-day war in June after unprecedented Israeli air strikes on military, government and nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel, a state it does not recognize.
Since the conflict ended, Iranian authorities have vowed swift trials for people suspected of collaborating with Israel.
They have since announced several arrests and executions of people they accused of working with the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency.
Iran targets Israelis with mass recruitment calls
In a related development, Israeli police said that “hundreds of citizens” reported receiving calls from unidentified numbers. In the conversations, callers allegedly tried to enlist them into an Iranian organization.
Ynet, an Israeli news outlet, published what it claimed was a recording of one such call. In the audio, a robotic voice can be heard saying that “Iranian intelligence is seeking qualified agents,” while promising “a competitive salary and full security.”
Police described the calls as an effort to spread fear during wartime and as part of Iranian attempts to enlist Israelis both domestically and abroad for intelligence collection and terrorist operations.
Authorities noted that last year saw a record number of Israelis arrested for spying for Iran. They said that in many cases, Iranians reached out through social media, including mass messaging on Telegram, hoping that some of their recruitment appeals would succeed.
